Teeth Sensitivity: Working with Your Dentist
If you feel tooth discomfort or pain whenever you take hot or cold food and drinks, that means your teeth are getting sensitive. Sensitivity can range from slight discomfort to severe pain.
What causes tooth sensitivity? Sensitivity occurs when the inner dentin or roots of a tooth become exposed.
There are a number of common causes for this – cavities, worn-out enamel, chipped or cracked tooth, teeth-grinding, receding gums exposing roots, worn or broken dental work or even new dental work. Hot, cold or spicy food can affect these conditions causing you to cringe. Teeth whitening treatments, chemical ingredients in toothpaste, or alcohol-based mouthwash can make things even worse.
Don’t say you’ll avoid your favorite foods or even be afraid to clean your teeth. There are ways to soothe your pains. Consider doing the following.
Strengthen your enamel with daily brushing using a fluoride- enriched toothpaste. Have a fluoride rinse that will coat teeth. Know that fluoride strengthens and even rebuilds some lost enamel.
Use toothpaste for sensitive teeth; look for potassium nitrate, which is a common ingredient in desensitizing toothpaste that block pain signals. Know that most toothpaste have abrasive ingredients that can further thin out the enamel, and, don’t forget to use soft-bristle toothbrush.
More importantly, it looks like you have to pay your dentist a visit. Your dentist may prescribe you the same above recommendations but will also look closely at your sensitive-tooth condition. He can suggest good product brands specific to your sensitivity. Let the dentist check your teeth for cavities, cracks or erosion that will necessitate treatment, and may even ask you to wear night guards if you are a teeth grinder.
Preventive care is important to keep teeth, as well as gums, healthy. Twice a year visits to your dentist can save you time and resources, addressing issues as early as possible. Beginning problems can also be checked and prevented from advancing. Teeth that can become sensitive can easily be spotted. And that can save you a lot of cringing in the future.
Teeth Sensitivity Care in Lynnwood
With regular visits to our Lynnwood clinic, you need not have to worry about sensitivity. We catch these things early when we see it. However, if you come down with tooth sensitivity, we’re just a ring away.
